There may never be a sufficient online audience for feature-length documentaries. Most computer users don't have the time, patience, or opportunity to watch more than a few minutes of video at a time on their monitors.However, producers of longform documentaries, including TV networks and filmmakers, are recognizing the value of creating mini-video segments and trailers to promote their programs.
"Scream Bloody Murder," Christiane Amanpour's two-hour documentary about the heroes who tried to stop genocide when no one listened, premieres this week on CNN. To promote it, CNN posted a compelling segment of that documentary online. In "Witness to Torture," we are introduced to Nusreta Sivac, who survived horrific atrocities while imprisoned in a Bosnian concentration camp. She is still haunted daily by her nightmarish experience. For her, the war never ended.
In a rare move, CNN also put together a short behind-the-scenes look at the making of "Scream Bloody Murder," incorporating interviews with Amanpour and her producers, called "In Our Words." Like "Witness to Torture," it is a self-contained documentary unto itself, and appropriately targeted for the intimacy of watching it on a computer monitor rather than a TV screen.
But in all instances, be forewarned: There is graphic content, and viewer discretion is advised.
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